Over the past two years, women and those seeking an abortion have been able to access “pills in the post” abortions as part of Covid-19 measures introduced in spring 2020. This means that, instead of attending a clinic to take the first two pills used to induce an abortion within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy, patients can instead take the tablets at home.
Since it was introduced, the scheme has been used by over 150,000 women (via The Guardian) and has been praised for making healthcare more accessible for thousands of people. However, the government had originally intended to scrap the scheme from 29 August 2022 – a move that was widely condemned by medical groups and women’s rights campaigners.
Today (23 August 2022), the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed that new legislation will enable women to keep accessing the ‘pills by post’ service for pregnancies of up to nine weeks and six days.
The news comes after MPs voted in favour of an amendment to the Health and Social Care Bill in March earlier this year to make the scheme a permanent fixture in England.
At the time, MSI Reproductive Choices’ advocacy and public affairs advisor Louise McCudden welcomed the decision, saying, “We are delighted that MPs have voted to keep the option of at-home abortion care.
“This was a vote for evidence over ideology, a vote for reproductive rights, and a vote for gender equality.
“Making this safe and popular service a permanent option will particularly benefit those who struggle to attend face-to-face appointments, including those in abusive relationships, those with caring responsibilities, and those without transport.
“Everyone chooses abortion for different reasons and under different circumstances. It is important that we can offer options that take into account personal circumstances – and that includes taking both pills at home. ”
A study published in February 2021 looked at 50,000 medical abortions and concluded that at-home abortion options were “effective, safe, acceptable,” as well as improving patients’ access to care.
Further research, published in BMJ’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Journal, assessed 1243 patients’ attitudes to the telemedicine option, finding that patients reported having high confidence in the pills by post option: “83% of patients reported preferring the telemedicine pathway, with 824 (66%) indicating that they would choose telemedicine again if COVID-19 were no longer an issue. ”
“If this service ends, everyone would be unnecessarily forced to travel to a hospital or clinic, often having to face the threat of anti-choice groups gathered outside. »
Dr Jonathan Lord, MSI Reproductive Choice
The scheme has already been made permanent in Wales – with the Scottish government likely to follow.
Since the introduction of telemedicine abortion, research shows that requests to illicit providers for pills from women in the UK have dropped by 88%, suggesting that vulnerable women who might previously have used illegal pills have instead been able to access legal care, and avoided criminalisation. Moreover, an independent poll, conducted in December 2021 by Savanta ComRes, found that 65% of women across the UK want telemedicine to remain a permanent option.
Prior to the vote, Dr Jonathan Lord, the UK Medical Director at MSI Reproductive Choice, explained the importance of at-home abortion services, saying they’ve “reduced waiting times and offered greater choice, which is particularly vital for vulnerable clients, such as women and pregnant people in abusive relationships or anyone else who can’t safely travel to a clinic.
“If this service ends, everyone would be unnecessarily forced to travel to a hospital or clinic, often having to face the threat of anti-choice groups gathered outside, for the sole purpose of swallowing a tablet, which can be taken perfectly safely at home. ”
